The invention is directed to an endoscope for application in cavities in combination with a flexible auxiliary instrument.
Such an endoscope is described in the German Utility Model 77 06 935. In a hollow shank with a distal lateral exit view there is located an optical as well as illuminating means for observing a cavity to be examined, an axial guide-through space for a flexible auxiliary instrument, distal deflecting means for deflecting an auxiliary instrument introduced into the hollow shank and proximally handled operating rods for operating the distal deflecting means in order to move the free end of the auxiliary instrument into a radial operating position. The deflecting means distally comprise a so-called Albarran lever which is pivoted by way of operating rods, and the free end of the auxiliary instrument is more or less pressed radially outwards. Deflecting designs using Albarran levers however require a significant amount of space and limit the reduced constructional manner of an endoscope shank, i.e. a reduction in the shank diameter. Furthermore with an Albarran lever it is essentially not possible to deflect the free end of an auxiliary instrument introduced into the endoscope shank beyond a right angle towards the rear, thus retrograde. Certain regions of cavities therefore may not be reached with such an endoscope or reached only with a complicated handling of the endoscope. This applies in particular to cavities in rigid bodies which comprise an rigid inspection passage for the endoscope which is small in diameter, i.e. with technical devices.
In the German Utility Model 79 31 192 an insert for a rectoscope head is described. This insert comprises, besides two channels for the introduction of air and rinsing water, a channel with an optics means for distal straight ahead viewing as well as an instrument channel for an auxiliary instrument whose distal flexibly formed end region is deflectable in a certain angular region towards the optics channel. All channels are held together by way of common rings. Although this insert comprises a channel for an auxiliary instrument, i.e. a probe, the deflectable end of the instrument channel may not be deflected laterally outwards but only laterally inwards since the working region of the auxiliary instrument is located axially in front of the insert. A retrograde carrying out of operations laterally next to the insert in a cavity to be examined is thus not possible.
In the German patent 195 37 812 there is described a technoscope with a distal lateral exit view. It comprises a hollow shank with an optics and illuminating means and with an instrument carrier at the distal shank end, which is equipped with exchangeable instruments, e.g. with measuring and machining tools, and is pivotable from an introduction position in which it is flush with the hollow shank, into an operating position deflected at right angles to the shank, as well as proximally operable operating means and drive means running through the hollow shank for bringing into position or for driving the instrument carrier and thus the working means concerned. With the help of a measuring tool for longitudinal measurements, e.g. the extent of damage to turbine blades with respect to area may be evaluated since on turbine housings there are provided inspection openings for endoscopic examinations and small repairs. Apart from the fact that this pivotable instrument carrier with exchangeable working means including its operating and drive means conflicts with a miniturized constructional manner of the technoscope shank, it is also not possible with this technoscope to adjust the instrument carrier and thus the working means beyond a right angle in a retrograde direction.